KOSOVO: SERBIA WEEKLY UPDATE

UNCLAS BELGRADE 000249 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O.12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM PBTS KPAO SR MW YI SUBJECT: KOSOVO: SERBIA WEEKLY UPDATE ¶1. (U) This cable summarizes notable events relating to Serbia and Kosovo. UNOSEK: the view from Belgrade -------------- ¶2. (SBU) For the week of 2/19, almost all Kosovo focus was on the UNOSEK talks in Vienna. The media reports from Vienna have been mostly straightforward. However, all sources noted that the talks have shown little progress, as none of the Serbian team's proposals have been accepted. The Radicals, in their traditional rhetoric aimed at their base, have urged the negotiating team to abandon the talks. There are contradictory messages in the media on whether the Ahtisaari proposal will be significantly amended. The GOS suggestion for a "Serbian entity" in Kosovo had the biggest domestic impact, as well as PM Kostunica's use of UNOSEK talks as an excuse to stall government coalition negotiations. (Tadic actually uses a similar excuse.) Serbia press reports have suggested that Kostunica has refused discussions on a possible coalition with President Tadic until the conclusion of the UNOSEK talks. ¶3. (SBU) Kostunica also used the attacks on UNMIK vehicles in Pristina as a way to call for the international community not to "reward...Albanian separatists" with independence and to warn against the IC submitting to threats of violence by K-Albanians. Both Kostunica and Tadic have expressed confidence that the UNSC will not approve a resolution which leads to Kosovo's independence. Former U.S. UN PermRep Bolton's comments to Voice of America warning against an "imposed solution" in Kosovo appeared without comment in almost in every daily, and on primetime television including national broadcaster RTS. GOS-KFOR -------------- ¶4. (SBU) CHOD Ponos told MILOFFs in a 2/22 meeting on that he had a positive and productive meeting with KFOR in Nis on Wednesday. Ponos said the two sides had good discussions about parallel patrols, lines of communication and information sharing, and control of refugee flows. Ponos said he is confident of a good professional working relationship between the Serbian armed forces and KFOR throughout the Kosovo status process. Protests at Embassy next week -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Looking ahead to next week, the Interior Ministry (MUP) has informed post that it has approved the Serbian National Council's request to hold a demonstration outside the Embassy on February 27 at 1400. The rally by this group of mostly hardline Kosovo Serbs has been supported explicitly or tacitly by SPS, SRS, and DSS. For the last few days, Serbian newspapers have been running full-page letters from the SNC to Ambassador Polt announcing the rally. Announcements have run on national television as well. A rumor that SRS plans a second rally on February 28 is unconfirmed, and may be a misinterpretation of their plan to support the February 27 rally. Embassy held an EAC on 2/23 (septel) to prepare for the demonstration, which MUP officials tell us could attract tens of thousands of supporters and will likely tie Belgrade traffic in knots throughout the day. Belgrade Diplomatic Activity -------------- ¶5. (SBU) The Danish Foreign Minister visited and expressed Denmark's support for the Ahtisaari Plan. Among Quint Ambassadors there is wide unanimity on moving ahead swiftly to New York and making an end. Italian "understanding" of Belgrade's coalition building "angst" and blaming Ahtisaari is not much appreciated even by his European colleagues. POLT